Observing that the close collaboration between SIAM and ACMA with the Government of India is playing a crucial role in shaping policies, Hanif Qureshi, the Guest of Honour and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, set the context for the SIAM Automotive Sourcing Conclave held in Delhi on 22 November 2023. 

The one-day event hosted by SIAM under the theme ‘Towards Building a Resilient Supply Chain’ addressed critical areas in the supply chain such as EV components, electronics and electricals, transmission systems and metals.

Informing that the essence of the policies in the automotive industry revolve around localisation which is at heart of the Government approach, Qureshi in his inaugural speech mentioned that there is a substantial potential for domestic value addition within the country.  

Inaugurating a digital showcase of localisation opportunities for the vendors in Indian auto sector, the guest of honour Anant Swarup, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries and the Department of Commerce, Government of India, said, “There is a greater possibility for further increased localization in the Auto Industry and there is a potential to achieve this across OEMs."

Vinod Aggarwal, President of SIAM, and CEO and Managing Director, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd, averred that the process of localisation is poised to substantially reduce costs, generate more employment opportunities and further enhance export. 

In his welcome address, the Chairman of SIAM Aatmanirbhar Bharat Sourcing Group and Senior Executive Director at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Sunil Kakkar said that this is the best time to invest and scale up localisation for Indian automotive OEMs and auto components manufacturers.  

Vikrampati Singhania, Vice President, ACMA, and Managing Director, J K Fenner India Ltd, spoke about the challenges and opportunities that lie in the automotive supply chain. He also spoke about the impact of IPEF on automotive supply chain. Sumanta Chaudhuri, Principal Advisor, International Trade Policy Division, CII, also delved on the impact of IPEF on automotive sourcing.

In the session themed ‘Trends in Automotive Transmission’, Sachin Kulkarni, Co-Chairman, SIAM Aatmanirbhar Bharat Sourcing Group and Senior Executive Director at Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd, drew attention to the growth opportunities in automotive engineering and technology areas such as automotive transmission. 

In the session themed ‘Specialised Metals and Raw Materials for Auto Sector’, Badrish Sinha, Co-Chairman, SIAM Aatmanirbhar Bharat Sourcing Group, and Vice-President - Purchasing, VE Commercial Vehicles, spoke about sourcing automotive grade steel locally. 

The Indian steel mills have the competency and efficiency to compete with global markets, he informed. “By working closely with the steel mills we (the auto industry) can reduce steel imports,” he suggested. 

Esteemed panelists Sanjeev Maini, HOD, Metallurgical Engineering, Bureau of Indian Standards, Sanjay Agarwal, EVP and Business Head – Long Products, JSW Steels, Animesh Sinha, Chief of Marketing and Sales – Automotive, Tata Steel, R V Dalvi, Director -- Technical, Sunflag Iron and Steel Company Ltd, and Kedar Rele, Managing Director, Umicore India, presented their thoughts and ideas on the topic.

During the Session themed ‘Opportunities in EV Components, Electricals, and Electronics Supply Chain’, Veeraraghavan R, Co-Chairman, SIAM Aatmanirbhar Bharat Sourcing Group and Senior Vice President - Strategic Sourcing, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “Considering the growing demand of electronics, this is a very critical area for us as an industry to localise.” 

Harendra Saksena, Chief Purchasing Officer, Ather Energy Private Ltd., averred, "There is a huge market in the two-wheeler space in India. EV adoption of two-wheelers will go to 60 percent by 2030, which will create huge demand for electronics and electricals in the segment."

The session moderated by Rahul Kapur, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat LLP, saw the participation of Prashanth Doreswamy, President and CEO, Continental India; Archit Agarwal, Corporate Head for Sourcing, Minda Corporation; Amardeep Punhani, Senior Director – R&D, Digital Design, NXP Corporation, and Prithvideep Singh, General Manager, CDIL Semiconductors. The panelists delved on the rising electronics content in automobiles and the associated challenges and opportunities such as local manufacture, cost, volumes, applicability and sustainability.  

Japanese mobility company Suzuki Motor Corporation and Tata Elxsi, a leading design and technology services company have inaugurated the ‘Suzuki-Tata Elxsi Offshore Development Center’ in Pune, India.

The facility will focus on driving innovations in advanced engineering for Suzuki Motor Corporation’s future offerings. Tata Elxsi says it will support Suzuki in its green mobility vision by aligning with the OEM’s global focus on sustainable innovation in lightweight design, safety, styling and engineering, eco-friendly materials, and advanced simulations to improve time-to-market.

Furthermore, the partners will also focus on developing next-generation powertrains (across electric, hybrid and alternate fuels) and software-defined vehicles (SDV).

Katsuhiro Kato, Chief Technology Officer, Suzuki Motor Corporation, said, “As the industry progresses in Connected, Autonomous, Shared, and Electric technologies, Suzuki must accelerate electronic and virtual development to meet evolving demands. Tata Elxsi’s expertise in advanced computing, simulation, and design digital makes them an ideal partner in bringing forward-thinking solutions to market. This strategic and long-term partnership incorporates Suzuki’s endeavor of minimising energy and enables India’s talent to actively contribute to our development efforts globally.” 

Manoj Raghavan, MD & CEO, Tata Elxsi, said, “The inauguration of Suzuki-Tata Elxsi Offshore Development Center marks a significant milestone in our partnership with Suzuki and our shared vision for the future of mobility. Tata Elxsi’s design-led, digital-first approach is uniquely positioned to support Suzuki’s energy minimisation and sustainability goals, advancing the future of automotive engineering with precision and responsibility. We are delighted to support Suzuki in this journey towards transformative automotive engineering.”

MathWorks, a leading developer of mathematical computing software, and NXP Semiconductors, a leading provider of automotive processing technology have joined forces to introduce Model-Based Design Toolbox (MBDT) for Battery Management Systems (BMS).

With this, engineers will be able to not only develop models but also validate BMS applications on MATLAB and Simulink. They will also be bale to automate C code generation from MATLAB for NXP Battery Cell controllers, and also support NXP’s software solution, the BMS SDK components. 

For the unversed, BMS is one of the crucial technology for electric vehicles that ensures optimal performance, durability and safety for the battery packs. The BMS design process the partners state increasingly relies on modelling and simulation to fine-tune algorithms tailored to EVs' specific battery cell types and battery pack configuration. 

The Model-Based Design provides efficient design of the BMS algorithms, which allows it to be tested in simulation for different scenarios, such as driving habits, environmental conditions, and fault occurrences. 

Lars Reger, CTO, NXP Semiconductors, said, "We’re excited to collaborate with MathWorks to support automotive engineers in developing the next generation of BMS solutions. Simplifying direct testing with MBDT on NXP processors offers a broad range of benefits, including faster design iterations that allow engineers to identify and fix issues upfront in the design process and reduce time to market.” 

The MDBT acts as a bridge between theoretical design and practical application.

Jim Tung, MathWorks Fellow, said, "By enabling engineers to go directly from creating BMS algorithms in Simulink to running them on an NXP processor, we're simplifying and accelerating the development process. The growth of the EV market demands more efficient, reliable, and safer battery systems, and tools like MBDT that streamline and enhance the engineering process will be critical. Reducing development times, facilitating easier testing, and accelerating market entry will be differentiators in this competitive market.”

Mushin Innovation Labs, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) start-up providing digital solution for the automotive manufacturing industry, has raised USD 250,000 in Seed Series Round led by Inflection Point Ventures. The startup through its Mushin Aqua platform supports Tier 1 and Tier 2 manufacturers to optimise their compliance and improve quality management. This it claims helps to reduce upto 85 percent cost reduction.

The new funds it intends to deploy towards improving sales and marketing operations, accelerate its R&D efforts, and further innovate its product suite. It also aims to expand its market presence, enhance product offerings, and develop new solutions to meet the ever-evolving needs of the automotive manufacturing sector.

Interestingly, Mushin Innovation Labs claims it already secured partnership with 15 leading automotive brands and has onboarded 70 factories within two years. It has successfully passed the Maruti Vendor System Audit (VSA) and obtained Letters of Intent (LOIs) from 15 factories. It currently has 14 active deployments and a pipeline of 52 factories. The start-up claims it has received interest from global OEMs such as Volkswagen, Skoda, Volvo, JCB, and Aston Martin. The start-up was founded by Rachit Srivastava (CEO) and Amman Batra (COO).

The company estimates that the total addressable market (TAM) for Mushin Aqua, is estimated at INR 7,000 billion annually. The serviceable available market (SAM), specifically targeting Tier 1 and Tier 2 manufacturers in India, is valued at INR 450 billion. Based on the company's current capabilities and market focus, the serviceable obtainable market (SOM) stands at INR 45 billion annually.

Vikram Ramasubramaniam, Partner and CIO, Inflection Point Ventures, said, “The automotive manufacturing industry has stringent compliance standards to follow while minimising costs and maintaining top-notch quality. Many Tier 1 and Tier 2 manufacturers struggle to meet these demands efficiently due to fragmented processes and outdated systems. Mushin Innovation Labs addresses this challenge and streamlines compliance and enhances quality management in an accessible price range, making lives easier for tier 1 and 2 manufacturers. IPV believes Mushin is well-positioned for sustainable growth, making it a right investment choice.”

Schaeffler India, a leading motion technology company, in partnership with Buddy4Study Foundation, has announced the winners of its 2024 edition of the Schaeffler India Social Innovator Fellowship Program.

The initiative under Schaeffler India’s CSR initiative HOPE (Healthcare, Occupational skill development, Preservation of Heritage & Environment and Empowerment of Society) in its third edition recognises and rewards social entrepreneurs for their unique sustainable solutions that has positive impact to the society.

The programme is open to applicants between the ages of 18 – 35 across different institutions including IITs, IIMs, NITs, non-profit organisations, and early-stage startups, to pitch their ideas and prototype solution across six key categories. These include environmental sustainability, renewable energy, carbon neutrality, circular economy, natural resource management, and application of technology in the social sector.

The participants undergo rigorous screening, of which 10 projects are shortlisted and receive a grant of INR 150,000 each. The winners were awarded 24-week hybrid mentorship at IIMA Ventures formerly (IIMA-CIIE), a startup incubator founded by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. They also get an opportunity to connect with Schaeffler India's network of industry partners, and fellow innovators in the program.

The initiative which started in July 2024, has received over 276 registrations from over 25 states, including the Northeast, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, and more, with 78 shortlisted applicants for assessment.

Harsha Kadam, MD and CEO, Schaeffler India, said, “At Schaeffler India, we are dedicated to advancing motion to foster a sustainable, efficient, and resilient world. The remarkable response to this year’s Social Innovator Fellowship Program highlights the potential of India’s youth to be agents of transformative change. Sustainability and innovation are inherently linked, and through this initiative, we are committed to nurturing young innovators who will help shape the future of India, where both people and the planet can thrive.”

The award ceremony saw attended by Munish Bhatia, Co-Founder, India Accelerator & CEO, Bharat Ventures, and Praveen Bhadada, CXO Advisor and Mentor, along with the Leadership Team of Schaeffler India.